Looking at World of Warcraft Classic and The Lord of the Rings Online's Anor server, legacy servers seem to be fairly popular with long-running MMOs these days. Funcom's Anarchy Online is the latest game to toss its hat in this particular ring. To celebrate Anarchy Online's 18th anniversary, the developers bring us Rubi-Ka 2019, a subscriber-exclusive legacy server that lets you experience the game the way it was back when it launched in 2001.

Here's a press release with some additional details:

Funcom celebrates legacy of first Sci-Fi MMORPG with new 2019 server bringing back a vintage Anarchy experience

Oslo, Norway – March 11th, 2019 – 18 years! Who would have thought? Today, Funcom is excited to announce that Anarchy Online, the world’s first science fiction MMORPGs and one of the longest-running online games ever, celebrates its epic 18-year journey with the launch of a brand-new 2019 server.

The new server invites members to experience a fresh start– a trip down memory lane, to the early days of Rubi-Ka. Back to level one, in a leet-filled backyard. Dole out punishment on unsuspecting roller rats; take a walk on the Longest Road; or go AFK by a grid terminal for an unnecessarily long time. Get drunk on nostalgia; or, if that doesn’t work, you can always grab a drink at Reet’s Retreat.

A level cap system is in place, and the community at large will have a say in the pulse and progression of the new 2019 server– both in terms of expansion releases and level cap increases. Everyone’s steering this ship together!

“With the launch of the new server, we wanted to give players our unique take on a progression server. I invite everyone to step into the familiar and surprising Rubi-Ka 2019,” said Producer Joshua Mills. “As we continue through the year of Anarchy Online's 18th anniversary, we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to play in a way that brings together the old and the new, with a few twists mixed in. Thank you to everyone who has made these years possible and I hope you will join us on this brave new journey to Rubi-Ka!”

Released in 2001, ‘Anarchy Online’ shaped the face of the MMORPG genre with its Science-Fiction setting and innovative features, including dynamic missions, item levels, and instanced playfields. A Beta version of a new ‘Anarchy Online’ rendering engine was released last year, and thousands upon thousands of players continue to explore the world of Rubi-ka today.

For more information about 'Anarchy Online’ or to play for free, please visit the official website at http://www.anarchy-online.com/